The school board believed that it would benefit elementary students to follow the same system used in higher education.

[10] The school served students in kindergarten through 8th grade and was equipped with specialized facilities including rooms for wood shop, drafting, and home economics, as well as an auditorium, two gymnasiums, and a swimming pool.

[12] The Greenfield School was designed by the Pittsburgh firm of Kiehnel and Elliott in one of their last commissions before relocating to Miami.

Architecturally, the building combines Chicago school and European modernist influences which are particularly evident in Kiehnel and Elliott's distinctive style of geometric terra cotta ornamentation, which according to the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation "shows a specific awareness of Frank Lloyd Wright's work.

The central bay contains the main entrance, which is set in a stone surround with undulating pilasters and marked with the name of the school.